McCarthy still haunted by Keane fallout

THE only smog in the eyes of Ireland’s manager Mick McCarthy in Moscow yesterday was that generated by the absence of Roy Keane from his squad to face Russia in the European Championship tomorrow.

Reports of mist and fog covering Moscow in such a dense cloud that the match would have to be postponed were found to be greatly exaggerated when Ireland trained at Dynamo Moscow's beautiful stadium in the evening. Ireland found, however, that the Keane controversy was not so easily blown away. McCarthy admitted that he believed the events of Saipan that led to the dismissal of Keane will be with him as long as he remains in football. And he said it was a sad situation that one of the world's great players was not playing for his country.

McCarthy was asked whether the absence of Keane meant more pressure on him and on the team to produce results and he said: "Of course it does. Unfortunately, the more people that give it legs, it is going to run and run and run.